Hydrocarbon-engine.



A. DOBLE.

HYDROCARBON ENGINE.

APPLICATION man ocT.1,1912.

Patented July 10, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

INVENTUR.

WTNESSES:

ATTORNEY.

A. DOBLE.

` HYDnocARBoN ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- I. 1912.

19239;? 7% Patented July 10, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTO/CNBV.

.ABNER DOBLE, OF WALTI-IAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GENERALENGINEERING COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

I-IYDJRJOCALRBON -ENGIN E.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application led October 1, 1912. Serial No. 723,417.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ABNER DOBLE, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Waltham, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydrocarbon- Engines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hydrocarbon engines and more particularly tovimproved mechanism for economically feeding variable quantities andcompositions of fuel to the engine.

It has been proposed heretofore to force a large lquantity of mixtureinto the engine cylinder and thereby get great power. The result soughthas been attained, but the efiiciency of engines utilizing largequantities of fuel is very low because much fuel is wasted by thedevices at present used for this purpose.

It is one of thel objects of this invention to increase the efficiencyof hydrocarbon engines so that an increased power may be economicallyobtained where desired, as in climbing hills, racing or acceleratingquickly.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device in which theproportion and pressure of the mixture may be varied,

and one in which a more homogeneous mix-` 'ture may be obtained than isordinarily obtained in high power engines.

The above and other objects and the novel features of the invention willbe apparent from the following description taken in connection with thedrawing in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, parts being in section,showing a well known type of engine embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 isan enlarged-,.section'al view of the vaporizing and mixing tube.

In the drawing the improvement is shown asembodied in the well knownKnight engine. However, it is to be understood that the yinvention isnot limited to such an engine, but may be applied to any ordlnaryinternal combustion engine. y

rIhe numeral 10 designates the cylinder casing which has a dome shapedhead 11 Vproviding a dome shaped ignition chamber 12 on the interiorcommunicating with the piston chamber 13. 14 designates the ordinaryspark plug or other lgnrtmg arrangement and 15 and 16 are sleeve valvesconwhich is placed in communication with the chamber 13 when the portsin the cylinder valves 15 and 16 are in proper relation. An admissionopening 21 is likewise placed in communication with the chambers 12 and13 when the relation of the valves 15 and 16 is such as to place theports therethrough in alinement.

A mixing chamber is provided on the exterior of the cylinder andcomprises a substantially U-shaped tube 22 which is secured to thecylinder wall 10 by means of a flange 23 at one end thereof. Asindicated, the tube 22 is formed in one piece with the flange 23 andvalso is formed integral with a manifold one opening of which isindicated at 22. It is to be understood, of course, that the mixing tube22 may be applied toa single cylinder or a plurality of cylinders. Thetube -22 iares outwardly at lits other end 24 and means may be providedto more rigidly support said end on the cylinder head. The tube ormixing chamber is provided with one or more contracted sections 25 nearthe flaring end. The.

shape of the tube near its inlet in longitudinal cross section,therefore, corresponds to the shape of the well known Venturi meter. Thecontraction of the cross sectional area of the tube changes the velocityof the incoming air and hydrocarbon and has the effect of producing amore homogeneous mixture than is ordinarily obtained.

A conical spider 26 having a plurality of radially arranged airadmission inlets 27 is A tank 34 is provided which is'suitable forcontaining the uid hydrocarbon and an air pump 35 operated from theengine shaft or other suitable driving means has its cylinder connectedto the tank 34 by means of the pipe 36 and maintains the hydrocarbon inthe tank under a certain pressure, preferably about 50 pounds.

To conduct the hydrocarbon to the mixing chamber a pipe 37 is providedwhich has a nozzle 38 at its end Where it discharges into the mixingtube 22. The spider 26 and shutter 28 have central hubs 261 and 281arranged to receive and support the pipe leading to the nozzle and thenozzle at the center of the flaring inlet 24 so that the stream from thenozzle will spray through the contracted section 25. Between the nozzle38 and the tank 34 there is a needle valve 39 which serves to regulatethe amount of the gasolene or other fuel supplied from the tank34. Thevalve 39 is preferably controlled from the steering column by means ofthe levers 40 and 41 and the rod 42, as in the case of the airadmission, but it Will be obvious that these valves may be controlledfrom other positions about the vehicle or engine, if desired. y

Between the needle valve and the nozzle the supply pipe 37 is formed ina conical spiral 43 to lie in contact With the dome shaped cylinder head11. The spiral 43, nozzle 38 and flaring end of the tube 22 aretherefore supported from the cylinder head. The spiral is for thepurpose of utilizing y,part of the waste heat of the motor to 'vaporizethe hydrocarbon and thereby obtain a more homogeneous mixture of the airtherewith When the vapor issues from of the ordinary engine.

the nozzle 38 into the mixing tube 22. The spiral being mounted on aportion of the cylinder which is not Water-j acketed receivesconsiderable of the bWaste heat of the cylinder and due to this heatingand vaporizing, the hydrocarbon makes an excellent mixture and greatlyincreases the pressure in the mixing tube and at the inlet motorcylinder. When the inlet `valves opening into the cylinder or cylindersare operated, a much greater amount of ydrocarbon tmixture is introducedthan by atmospheric pressure due to the comparativelyL feeblezuctionSuch an arrangement as herein described affords al simple means ofeconomically obtaining a maximum amount of ower from a relatively smallVengine, owing to the greatly augmented volume of the charge, andprovides an engine which is very flexible as the proportions of themixture as well as the pressureand amount introduced into the cylin--der or cylinders may be varied Within Widel limits. f Y' The operationof the device will be understood from the foregoing description. Whenvaporized before its projection into the mix-A ing tube. f f

In case difficulty is experienced in starting the'engine by means offuel supplied by the nozzle 38 When the engine is cold, fuel mixture forstarting may beV supplied by means of the usual carbureter. Thiscarbureter, however, is merely an auxiliary to the mixing tube as thelatter will supply a suitable mixture When the engine becomes hot enoughto vaporize the fuel. The hydrocarbon pressure from tank 34 is suppliedto the heating and vaporizing coil 43 by means of a pipe 37 and thegasolene discharging from the nozzle 38 expands and With the incomingair creates a high pressure in the mixing tube 22.

It Will appear that the arrangement herein shown is capable of variousmodications Within the scope of the invention and I therefore do notintend to be limited to the exact details as shown and described.

I claim-- 1. In ahydrocarbon engine, the combination with the cylinderhaving a mixture inlet, of a mixing tube communicating at one end withlsaid inlet and having an air vinlet and a hydrocarbon inlet at itsopposite end, a pipe for supplying hydrocarbon to the latter inlet, aspiral in the line of said pipe supported upon and in contact with theoutside of the head of the cylinder, and means for controlling theadmission of air and hydrocarbon to saidmixing tube.

2. In a hydrocarbon engine, the combination of a cylinder having a valvecontrolled fuel inlet, a U-shaped mixing tube having one endcommunicating with the fuel inlet, the other end of said U-shaped tubehaving an air inlet and a hydrocarbon inlet, a hydrocarbon supply tank,a spiral pipe connected'to said hydrocarbon inlet and the hy-v drocarbonsupply tank and supported on lthe cylinder in contact with the Walls ofthe head of'said cylinder, means for maintaining the hydrocarbon inthesupply tank at a predetermined pressure, means for varying the amountof hydrocarbon supplied to the s iral pipe, and means Ifor varying vtheeffective area of the air inlet. v

3.In a hydrocarbon engine, the combination of a cylinder having a fuelinlet,'a U- shaped mixing tube having one end thereof communicating withthe inlet, the lother end of said tube flaring outwardly and being-supported on the cylinder, there being a contracted sectionintermediate the ends of the tube, a conical member mounted on the 1'30Haring end of the tube and having a plurality of air inlets therein, ashutter slidable on said member to vary the effective area of said airinlets, a nozzle mounted in said conical member and shutter and adaptedto discharge into the tube, a tank adapted to contain a liquidhydrocarbon, means adapted to maintain said hydrocarbon in the tank at apredetermined pressure, a pipe for delivering hydrocarbon to the nozzle,a spiral in said pipe resting in contact With the head of said cylinder,a valve for varying the amount of hydrocarbon delivered to the nozzle, asteering column and means for operating the valve and shutter from thesteering column.

In testimony whereof I ailiX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ABNER DOBLE. Witnesses:

EDITH M. WATERS, J oHN T. BURNS, J r.

